Lullaby
by LittleMewLugia
Summary: Butch and Cassidy take a special trainee out to test her rather unique ability.


Lullaby

Vanessa sat down in the Pokécentre with a sigh. Butch and Cassidy had told her to wait inside for them while they scouted around the back, but she knew what they were doing. Necking around the back, more than likely! The pair could barely keep their hands off each other, but as members who were in uniform all the time, they had to keep up the Team Rocket tough look. So they couldn't be caught hugging in the road or snogging in a corner. So they took whatever opportunity presented itself to show their affections.

Such as now. As a plain-clothed third-year trainee, she'd been dumped in the Pokécentre to keep watch for any likely victims. She sat down, anticipating a boring hour. However, after ten minutes, a trio of trainers walked in. Vanessa cast a look at them. Two lads and a skinny girl with well-shaped legs. Vanessa eyed the legs enviously. Slightly tanned and nicely trim, they off set the girl's skinniness, making her look pretty despite her prepubescent form.

Vanessa thought of her own legs, bright pink and not at all nice-looking, and sighed. She was sure she'd seen the trainers

before somewhere, though not in the flesh. There was something familiar about them somehow.

"Pika?" came a voice somewhere near her feet. She looked down, and saw an electric mouse looking up at her. Then it struck her like a thunderbolt where she'd seen the trio before. Photographs that had been passed around as Rocket targets. This was Team Twerp! How fortuitous that she should be here, particularly with her ability!

"I'm sorry, Madam, is he bothering you..." said a voice. She looked up. The trainer with the hat-Ash, the leader of the twerps, she recalled-had come over. He was staring.

"That's right, have a good gawk!" she snapped. Being an albino was so tiresome! When outside, she usually had to cover up against the sun. When she got inside, where she could strip off her covering garments, she tended to get stared at! Vanessa was sick of it! But as Ash recoiled, Vanessa realised she didn't want to drive him off.

"Uh...I'm sorry!" said Ash. Vanessa stood, forcing herself to smile.

"No, I'm the one who should apologise. I am way too touchy about the subject! Perhaps I can indulge your curiosity and tell you about albinism. Mind if I join you? I'll get us some food." She inwardly winced at the thought of how much kids of the twerp's age could eat, but she reassured herself that the bonus she'd get if this worked out would more than pay for it.

"Er, Ok, thanks!" said Ash, leading her over to where Brock and Misty sat.

"I'm Vanessa." she said. "What are your names?" The group were blissfully unaware that they were being observed.

Butch and Cassidy had broken off long enough to peer through the window to check on Vanessa. Now they watched as she bought food for the Twerps, and got herself into their confidence. They smiled at each other, knowing that Vanessa had the situation well in hand. They were so lucky to have her as a trainee! Knowing she'd call them if needed, they turned their attention back to each other.

Vanessa started to hum quietly. Misty looked at her, but then decided that, although it was irritating, there was no harm in it.

"I'm sorry, is it bothering you?" Vanessa asked. "You see, I'm going to be appearing in a show in town, and I need to practice my song." She turned to the trainers. "Do you mind if I sing it to you-and you can tell me how it sounds?"

"Well why not? laughed Ash. "After-meal entertainment!" Vanessa smiled.

"Could one of you get me a drink?" she asked. Singing is thirsty work!" Misty rushed to get her the drink, and Vanessa, under cover of adjusting her earrings, used the switch in the earrings to deaden her hearing-one of the adaptations she'd received as part of being a subject for an experiment. An experiment that had paid off, as the Twerps were about to find out.

She started singing the song, and once she was sure she had the twerps attentions, she sang a little louder until she felt the "stretch" in her throat that told her the adaptations to her vocal cords was working. The scientists had had to make using the adaptation a conscious thing, or it would affect all she spoke to.

Misty, Ash, and Brock all suddenly felt unaccountably sleepy. It was Misty who realised that something was wrong. She tried to call a warning to Ash, but collapsed in mid-cry. Ash and Brock followed. Across the centre, Nurse Joy collapsed gracefully into a heap. Pikachu's eyelids sagged shut, and it subsided with a "pikaaa" more like a sigh than a cry.

Vanessa smiled, and walked over to the reposing rodent. She gathered it into her arms and walked out of the Pokecentre, calling for Butch and Cassidy. They came over and congratulated her, than the three got in their van and Butch drove off.

Pikachu awoke in a wooden cage coated in rubber. Butch, Cassidy, and Vanessa were watching it. Vanessa gave a nasty laugh.

"Sleep well? " she asked. "That adjustment to my vocal cords worked a treat!" She looked at the confused Pikachu. "A scientist altered my vocal cords three years ago to try and give my voice the same effect, if required, as a Jigglypuff's song. He analysed the subvocals, isolated the ones responsible, and adapted my voicebox so I could produce the same subvocals at will. It was a delicate operation and I risked my voice. Today was the first field trial. It had worked in the lab and it worked in practice a treat!"

Cassidy exited, as Butch said "Now Pikachu, you're finally Team Rocket's!"

"Pika!" snarled Pikachu, trying to thundershock Butch. It failed due to the insulating materials the cage was made of.

"Now, Pikachu, you will obey the Boss-he's wanted to be your trainer for a very long time!" Pikachu didn't even comment, just turned it's back on Butch. Cassidy re-entered with her Drowzee in tow. She led it to stand in front of the cage.

The Drowzee, raised it's arms. Butch reached behind him for a heavy pair of leather gauntlets coated with rubber.

"These were once used for flying birds of prey, but now they'll do excellent for Pikachu extraction!" Which is what he used them for, extracting Pikachu from the cage. Pikachu bit and scratched but couldn't get through the gloves. Butch dangled Pikachu in front of the Drowzee.

"Drowzee! Hypnosis!" commanded Cassidy. Drowzee complied. "You will obey our Boss without fail. He is your trainer and you will do as he says!" said Cassidy, as Pikachu fell into a hypnotic trance. "You will resist attempts by your old trainer to take you back. You will obey only people who are part of Team Rocket. You want to stay with us."

"Pi-ka" said Pikachu.

Ash, Misty, and Brock awoke. Ash looked about, and his worst fears were confirmed. Pikachu was gone. Brock moved across the centre, and solicitously helped Nurse Joy to her feet.

"That girl! "said Misty. "It was her song that sent us to sleep!"

"I'm used to that with a Jigglypuff, but not a human!" groaned Ash. "And she's got Pikachu!"

"Why would she want Pikachu?" asked Brock. Misty walked over and thwacked him about the head.

"Why else, stupid! Who else wants Pikachu?"

"Team Rocket!" groaned Ash.

"Speaking of Jigglypuffs, I've got one that was abused and then abandoned by it's trainer. It needs a good home. Could one of you take it on?" Nurse Joy asked. Brock turned and took her hand.

"How can I refuse such a lovely lady? I've got space on my team, I'll adopt it!"

Nurse Joy brought out the Jigglypuff. It had one ear bandaged, a patch over one eye, and a sticking plaster on its body. Brock put his arms out to it but it flinched away.

"Jiggly!" it said suspiciously. Brock saw the fear in its one uncovered eye, and opened his rucksack. Pulling out a handful of poke chow, he extended the handful to the Jigglypuff. It sniffed it, then took a bite.

"Jiggly!" it said in pleasure. Ten minutes later, the Jigglypuff was snuggled trustingly in Brock's arm. He got out a pokeball, and called the Jigglypuff into it. It willingly allowed itself to be called, and Brock settled it carefully on his belt.

"Let's go and find Pikachu." he said. He turned to Nurse Joy. "Be on standby, Pikachu may be hurt." he said.

Then they struck out for the Team Rocket HQ.

They gained access easily enough, by climbing on the roof, and then Misty used a hairgrip to pick open the lock on the skylight. The trio crept through the building, and peered in windows, and hid when Rockets walked by. They couldn't believe their luck when they looked in a room used for keeping Pokemon, and saw Pikachu in a large cage, curled up in a corner fast asleep. The door was locked, but Misty's hairgrip solved that problem, and also served to unlock the cage door.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash, reaching out to his little yellow friend. Pikachu awoke, but bared it's teeth and sparked it's cheeks.

"Pika-CHU!" it said.

"Pikachu?" said Ash in confusion.

"It won't listen to you, it's hypnotised to obey us now!" said Cassidy, who had walked in, with Butch and four grunts.

"You were seen coming in here, and we're here to escort you out of the premises.

"Pikachu?" she called. The yellow rodent pricked up its ears.

"Do you want to go with Ash? You can if you want, you know." Pikachu shook its head.

"Pika-CHU!" it said.

"Pikachu!" said Ash in shock.

"Don't worry, Ash, it's hypnotised, remember? It can't help it! Go, Jigglypuff!" cried Brock. The Jigglypuff came out. Brock cried "Jigglypuff! Sing!" and shoved his fingers in his ears.

The Jigglypuff obliged. Butch, Cassidy, the grunts, Ash, and Misty all collapsed, and all the Pokemon fell asleep too. When it stopped singing, Brock directed the Jigglypuff to scribble on the Rockets only, and shook his two friends awake. Ash picked up Pikachu.

"Come on, everyone, let's blow this joint!" cried Brock. "Professor Oak can unhypnotise Pikachu! The three wasted no time in doing so.

EPILOGUE

Professor Oak's Kadabra had no trouble unhypnotising Pikachu, and he leaped into Ash's arms with a joyous "Pikash!" Butch and Cassidy had trouble getting the Jigglypuff's scrawl off their faces, as it had used a permanent marker.


End file.
